Bets
by Annalisa Yoru
Summary: One shot sequel to Little Steps. Parenting isn't as fun as their friends made it out to be. Double that with a pregnant wife and a toddler with fire magic and even hyper active Natsu finds himself dead tired. NaLu with hints of GaLe


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**I know I should have done mood swings with Lucy in Little Steps ;) but Natsu's son is meant to give his father more grief through his mother. Stay tuned for more sequels for this one shot series.**

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'Parenting isn't as fun as our friends made it out to be.' He groaned and stole his wife's pillow to cover his sensitive ears. "Luce-"

"It's your turn. I left my fire proof suit at the cleaners." The blond mumbled and stole back her pillow. Both new parents were dead tired.

Natsu tried to move, but thanks to the mission he just came back from he was more tired than he normally was. Lucy sighed and kicked him in the shin to get him to move faster.

"That'll teach you to leave your untrained daughter with a tired mommy for a week." She told him the reason why she was overly moody. "Now go get our daughter before she burns down the house."

Natsu chuckled and stole a kiss before rushing across the hall to Aiden's nursery. He flinched when he saw small char marks on the crib and his daughter was crying while a flame was getting ready to be set loose from her mouth.

"Aw, c'mon Aiden," He smiled at the girl and blew out the small flame. "Let's go get mommy."

The little girl squealed and clapped her hands before Natsu picked her up. He kissed his daughter's cheek and brought her back to the master bedroom. Aiden squealed again when she saw her mother and the toddler jumped from her father's arms to her mother's.

With his daughter's attention on playing, Natsu fell face first on the bed.

"Was it this bad for you too?" Lucy asked her half asleep husband as she entertained their daughter.

Natsu moaned but turned his head. "I was a toddler when Igneel found me, so if I was he never mentioned it."

"It's happening more often, we still owe Gray and Juvia for the last time." Lucy commented.

He cringed at the memory of coming back with Happy from a mission to find the whole guild in a panic and the scent of ash in the air. Ever since that day both he and Lucy had to dress their daughter in fire proof magic cloth. It was the first time their daughter used her magic and it lit her, the bench, and half the guild on fire.

"I didn't expect her magic to show until she turned four or five." Natsu summoned a small flame on his hand and morphed it into animals to amuse his daughter.

Lucy sighed and rubbed her daughter's back. "Maybe we should find a fire protection spell for her room and the house."

"She's still too young to start training." Natsu sighed, "She can mimic my magic perfectly but mimicking doesn't give control."

Lucy leaned over their daughter to kiss him briefly. "In happiness and chaos," She reminded him with a smile.

He grinned. "And anger-"

She frowned and shoved his shoulder playfully. "I'm not bad."

Natsu snickered and used his magic to pull the spare play pen over to the side of the bed. "I don't know; you were pretty mean during your mood swings."

"Please," Lucy scoffed and cuddled against her husband as soon as a sleeping Aiden was moved to the play pen. "You had it easy. Compared to Levy and Juvia, you had an angel."

Natsu chuckled at the faint memory and rubbed his wife's back. "Guess I did have it easy compared to rivet and striper, but they did have boys."

Lucy giggled and kissed his chin. "Cana was smirking the other day when she checked my fortune."

Natsu opened one eye to look at the blond. "Oh?"

"She said that she'd tell me and Levy our fortunes when you and Gajeel got back from your mission." Lucy yawned and rested her head on his shoulder.

'Why do I feel dread in the air?' Natsu mused when he watched his sleeping wife for a while longer before falling asleep.

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"Da!"

Natsu looked down at his daughter and smiled, getting the message when she extended her arms. Once on his lap she grabbed at the fire food.

"Have any idea why those three are whispering?" Gajeel wondered bluntly.

Natsu looked at his wife, Cana, and Levy huddled around a table on the other side of the guild hall. "No idea, probably checking their fortunes."

Gajeel strained to eavesdrop on the three women, but he silently cursed when he found out his girlfriend made a sound barrier.

Lily looked between the two mages. "Honestly, the two of you have become sneaky since teaming up." The Exceed shook his head.

"Not my fault bookworm is keeping secrets." Gajeel grumbled.

Natsu and Lily exchanged glances, "Maybe if you propose she'll stop keeping secrets." They both stated.

The iron mage sweat dropped before going back to munching on a piece of iron.

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"Well?"

Both mages were crowding their friend as the mage worked her magic.

"Positive," Cana announced.

Levy smiled and glanced toward her boyfriend with a hopeful look.

Lucy leaned over the table. "And?"

Cana flipped the last two cards over and cringed. "Uh…it's positive and" She worked the cards again and flinched. "Sorry Lucy but its 100% positive and I don't see the path ahead being as easy as before. Good news though is that it's a boy."

Lucy blinked then smiled at her friend. "Thanks Cana," Both mages hugged their friend before going back to their table across the guild.

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Lucy smiled at her daughter when the girl noticed her mother coming closer. Wordlessly both she and her best friend sat next to the dragon slayers and children. The mages blinked at the women and the children beamed.

"Drake, why don't you go and take Aiden outside to play?" Lucy told her nephew and the boy grinned.

"C'mon, flame," Drake went to the other side of the table to help the toddler down then waited and walked with the girl at her pace. Every time someone almost knocked the girl over Drake caught her before shooting a glare at the passerby.

"Now wait a minute-" Natsu started to protest before Lucy placed a finger over his lips.

She gave her husband a warning glare. "I expected Gajeel to be the one whining." She glanced toward the iron mage.

"Che" Gajeel crossed his arms. "My son isn't some weak kid yah know."

Levy elbowed her boyfriend with a glare. "Do not remind me."

Gajeel caught her elbow and frowned. "What did card girl have to say?" He asked his girlfriend.

Levy smirked and fingered her ear. "Better give me two more ear piercings, Gajeel." She beamed at her boyfriend. Reminding him of what they both did when she was pregnant with Drake. The agreement being a piercing for every kid they had.

Gajeel looked at the small iron ring that was at the top of his girlfriend's right ear. "Twins…" His red eyes were wide in mild shock.

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Natsu and Lily chuckled at the iron mage. Everyone near their table was chuckling at the sight of Gajeel being slack jawed and eyes wide. The iron mage's body language clued everyone in on what was going on.

"Natsu~" Lucy grinned at her husband to whisper in his ear. "We're going to need to make another fire proof room."

He blinked and gapped at his wife before Lucy kissed his cheek.

"Better start thinking of a good boy name, Natsu." She smiled.

"YES! WAHOO!"

The whole guild laughed at the fire mage's declaration. Secretly they all were holding bets with Cana on many things that involved the dragon slayers. Most were bets that involved the new parents. (All thanks to Gray and Gajeel betting on what events in Aiden's life Natsu would screw up on or which ones would turn out against the young father's wishes.) One of the bets was to see how long it took for Natsu to be the victim of a really violent mood swing from his wife. That bet, was growing to be the most betted on pool in the whole guild-Aside from the current bet on how long it'd take Gajeel to pop the question to Levy. The other bet that was on how long it'd take the hyperactive dragon slayer to get tired enough to go comatose for a month. There was another bet involving the new father, but Cana didn't make the topic of it known since every man in the guild- minus Natsu- were betting on it and keeping silent about it.

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_Bet number 1. Murderous mood swings_

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"Daddy?"

The toddler watched her father rush to fix the new char on the beam in the living room. He already disposed of the burnt play pen and baby gate. Sad for him, his daughter had found out how "yummy" fire was and, had not been for Natsu's wisdom in building 75% of the house with stone and mortar, almost burnt the front rooms of the house.

'Luce is going to kill me.' He thought of running to town to get plaster to encase the beam in to hide the evidence. 'Then again, she'll never notice…' Natsu looked at the strip that went down the middle of the beam length wise. The fire mage had completely forgotten about the charred curtains and the hole in the rug that he and Aiden covered over with a too-small blanket.

"Daddy!" Aiden stomped her little foot in a pout.

"Ok-ok," Natsu chuckled at his daughter clad in bubblegum pink. "Let's go to the guild hall."

Aiden squealed in glee and jumped into her father's arms before he walked down the path to town.

'She'll never notice…' Natsu assured himself despite feeling as if he had forgotten something.

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"NATSU!"

The blond slammed open the guild hall's doors harder than it had to be, causing a loud slam at the same time her livid voice echoed.

Everyone froze at the sight of the pregnant mage, silently pointing to where she could find her child and husband. Inwardly her friends cringed at how the blond looked just like Erza with mood swings. Mistogan (Jellal) could always get his wife to calm down before she could murder someone. Natsu on the other hand…

"What happened to our house?" Lucy slammed her hands on the table, standing across from her husband with the table between them.

"I was going to go fix it after lunch, Luce." Natsu confessed. Cringing at how much his wife looked and acted like her Edolas counter-part.

"What. Happened." She demanded lowly.

Natsu pointed to their daughter and like-wise, their daughter pointed to her father. Lucy raised a brow at the pair and Aiden grinned.

"Mommy should let daddy cook more often. Fire tastes like ice cream." She stated innocently.

'Traitor' Natsu cringed when he saw Lucy reach for her keys.

"Luce-" His eyes widened in horror when his wife reached for the one key that held a spirit he knew would kick him into next week and smile while doing it.

The blond continued glaring at him. "Open, gate of the Lion, Leo."

When Loke saw the family of three he blinked, barely catching Aiden's happy giggle of 'Uncle Loke.'

"Can you watch Aiden for a few hours, Loke?" Lucy asked the spirit in a tone that was too cheerful.

Loke looked at everyone in the guild and then at Natsu's horror struck eyes. "Of course," He told his key holder and the blond smiled in thanks, but as soon as the blond turned to her husband she scowled. Moving around the table and then latching a hand onto the back of his vest. "You are coming with me." She stated while dragging her husband in the direction of the carpentry shop. When the couple turned a corner Natsu's cry of 'No' caused everyone to crack up laughing.

Loke looked at the sweet little toddler on the bench. "What did your daddy do this time?"

Aiden swung her legs back and forth while smiling up at the spirit. "We made lunch."

The spirit's brow rose while the guild quieted down to hear the guild. "And why would your mommy be mad?"

"Daddy and Aiden bu'ned the living 'oom." The little girl stated guiltily.

Everyone laughed and Loke patted the girl's head. "It's ok Aiden; mommy was just taking your daddy to go and fix it."

"Ok guys," Cana shouted with a smiled. "Winners of this bet are Laxus and Loke."

The lightening mage and spirit smirked at the thought of splitting the huge money load fifty-fifty.

"Aiden," Loke smiled at the little girl. "Would you like to go to the park for ice cream?"

'Might as well spend some of the money on the girl,' The spirit reason when Cana handed the two the money. 'I did tell her fire tasted good and for her to ask Natsu if she didn't believe me.'

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Natsu sighed in relief when the job was finished, but at the same second he jumped off the ladder Lucy sniffed. He went wide eyed when the same wife that had drug him all the way to the carpentry store and then back home, watched him fix the damage with an angry glare, and all but threatened to lock him in the house until the job was done stood in the doorway crying.

"Luce-"

Lucy sunk to her knees and cried harder. "How can you stand me?"

"Cause I love you, weirdo." Natsu stated before sitting and pulling the blond onto his lap.

"I'm cranky, fat, mean-"

Natsu chuckled and kissed her forehead. "You and half the women in Fairy Tail are or have been each of those at one point."

Lucy frowned through her tears and elbowed his gut. When she saw him wince she cried even harder.

"Aw c'mon Luce," Natsu rubbed her back, "Don't cry. Every thing's alright. How about this? I'll cook dinner tonight so you can rest."

Lucy's eyes flashed as she pulled away from her husband. "Natsu Dragneel, if I see you anywhere near the kitchen you will find yourself sleeping on the couch until our son is born."

He inwardly cringed as his wife's mood swing happened again.

Once Lucy was standing and half way toward the kitchen she turned on her heel with a smile. "You can go pick up Aiden though."

Natsu nodded and the second his wife turned around he rushed out the door.

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'Boys must cause violent mood swings.' Natsu concluded as he rubbed his sore side during his walk to the park in his search for his daughter and Loke. Everyone at the guild told him that Loke and a few others went with the children to the park.

"Daddy!"

He smiled at Aiden when she came running, he glanced at Loke and his smile grew to a grin at the sight of the spirit looking dead tired.

"Hey," He picked the toddler up. "Ready to go home?"

"Down," She told him then went to go say goodbye to her friends.

Loke gave the fire mage a smile in welcome. "Still in one piece?"

"She's pregnant, not homicidal," Natsu pointed out and looked at the spirit. "You on the other hand look like crap."

"How you keep up with her I'll never know." Loke sighed. "Tell Lucy I said hello and won't be reachable for a while."

Natsu laughed and nodded to the spirit as his gate closed. As soon as the spirit was gone he waited for Aiden to finish saying bye. He kept his growl as silent as possible when she hugged Drake and Garrett (Gray and Juvia's son) goodbye and kept a welcoming smile on his face for his daughter.

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"Luce, we're home!" Natsu called as he set Aiden down.

"I'm out back."

Aiden looked up at her father then ran off to go greet her mother. When he heard the girl squeal in delight he followed, gapping at what his wife had set up in the back yard.

The stone picnic table was loaded with what was normally fixed for dinner, with the addition of fire food as well.

Lucy smiled at her husband and walked over to give him the traditional welcome home kiss. Both ignored their daughter when she protested while hiding her face.

"Sorry," She offered and he smirked before kissing her again.

"Me too, next time you and Aiden go out for the day you'll find fireproof spelled drapes and house when you come back." He promised.

"Mommy, daddy," Aiden whined, "Food."

"Our daughter has spoken." Lucy giggled and walked with her husband over to the table.

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_Bet number 2- _

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Lucy glanced over at her husband as she saw him drifting off for half a minute, head drift back, then his eyes would open and he'd sit up straight, and then the process would repeat.

Aiden and three of their friends' children were yanking on the fire mage's arm, whining for him to play with them.

"Ok-ok, let me get up." Natsu told the four with a yawn before getting up from the bench.

Levy and Lucy watched as the four kids pulled him to the play area Mirajane had set up for the children.

"He looks horrid." Levy murmured.

Lucy sighed and rested her hand over her baby bump. "Aiden has stopped crying for attention or to sleep with us, but junior here is far worse." She looked over at Natsu. "I toss and turn so much in my sleep now that Natsu is finding himself pushed out of bed or kicked several times a night. He's too stubborn to move to the couch and tells me that if I have to suffer through pain and aches so does he."

"Might be a warning Lu." Levy pointed out, "Kid might be worse than his father."

Lucy paled but then laughed at the thought. "I hope not, Natsu is already dead on his feet." She started to say before a victorious laugh resounded shortly after a thud.

Both pregnant mages looked toward to play area to see a pass out Natsu with Gajeel laughing over the fire mage while poking him from every angle while Iris started braiding the mage's hair with the other girls.

Gajeel laughed and turned to Cana. "I win right?"

"Winner of the bet is Gajeel." The card mage confirmed after looking at the notebook

"Ha-ha!" The iron mage laughed and danced manically around his blacked out rival. "Oof-"

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The whole guild froze at the sound of metal clashing with metal but when they saw Drake's extended metal arm against his father's chin they blanched.

Gajeel regained his balance. "What the- What was that for?" He demanded to his son.

Drake's red eyes glared up at his father. "Don't step on flame." The five year old pointed to Aiden, whose eyes were filled with shock and tears, sitting on the floor with a boot print on her pink dress's skirt.

The iron mage faltered but bent down to brush the dirt off of his niece's skirt. "Fire stick's on me." He told the girl and she grinned before hugging him and running over to Mirajane.

Gajeel saw his son nod in approval and the boy went to go join his friend. At the same time the iron mage heard several 'aws' and his gaze snapped up.

"What the hell are you looking at?" He snapped before going back to whatever he was doing before Natsu passed out.

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_And off in the future- thirteen years later: bet number 3_

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The sixteen year old mage huffed as she made her way to the guild hall. Onyx eyes were set as she threw the doors open and marched over to her teammate's table in the far corner. Seconds later the clad black teen with navy blue hair glanced up then went back to his meal without a word. She frowned and pulled on his shirt, forcing him to his feet, before planting her lips over his- being mindful of his new lip piercing as she kissed him.

Red eyes blinked in shock when the strawberry blond parted, his single pierced brow raised in question.

Onyx eyes twinkled in glee. "Now, you are my first in everything." She stated before going over to the request board, grabbed a job, and then left. Seconds later the other mage followed the strawberry blond with his pack thrown over his shoulder.

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*Thud*

Gajeel smirked and looked at the fire mage, passed out cold, on the floor. Lucy and his wife were squealing in delight and whispering. He moved across the room and cleared his throat while holding out his hand.

Gray sighed and forked over the betted cash. "Lucky guess, rivet."

The iron mage smirked and then went back to sit next to his wife. 'Flame breath is going to throw a fit though.' He chuckled and counted the cash before shoving it in his pocket.


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